1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to safety devices that are used to pad the edges of hard objects so that a person is not severely injured should they fall and strike that object. More particularly, the present invention relates to safety devices that are designed to protect the edge of a bathtub, thereby reducing injuries to people who slip and fall when bathing in the bathtub.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Every year many people slip and fall in their bathtubs. Many injuries and death occur do to these falls. The reasons people so commonly fall in their bathtubs is obvious. Bathtubs typically have hard, smooth bottoms. The bottom of the bathtub becomes very slick when covered with soapy water. As a person moves around in the bathtub, that person""s foot can easily slip along the surface of the bathtub and cause that person to fall. Bathtubs are hard. Furthermore, bathtubs are surrounded by hard tiled surfaces and metal plumbing fixtures. Consequently, should a person lose their footing and fall, that person will probably land against a hard surface, thereby increasing the chances of severe injury.
Injuries due to falling in a bathtub are greatest among children and senior citizens. This is because muscle coordination and balance in these age groups are diminished. Severe injuries caused by falling in the bathtub are commonplace among senior citizens due to size, weight and bone fragility.
One of the most dangerous surfaces to fall upon in a bathtub is the edge of the bathtub. The edge of the bathtub projects upwardly and is relatively narrow. The edge of the bathtub therefore contains clearly defined edges that can cause severe injury when struck. Furthermore, whenever a person enters or leaves a bathtub, that person must step over the edge of the bathtub. To step over the edge of the bathtub, a person must lift one foot over the edge. This leaves only the other foot supporting the weight of the person. Commonly, it is during this process that a person slips and falls. Since the person is stepping over the edge of the bathtub when they fall, they commonly strike the hard edge of the bathtub.
In the prior art, there have been several devices designed to cover the edge of a bathtub and make it a less hazardous obstacle. Such devices include bathtub liners and edge covers. Bathtub liners are exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 5,839,132 to Rooney, entitled Inflatable Bathtub Liner. Bathtub edge covers are exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 5,771,506 to Joiner, entitled, Protection Apparatus.
A problem associated with both prior art tub liners and bathtub edge covers is that they only fit some bathtubs. Bathtubs have been in common use for the last two hundred years. During that period, a wide variety of different bathtub shapes and designs have been used. Each bathtub design has a bathtub edge of a different height, width, length and contour. Bathtub liners, such as was illustrated in the cited Rooney patent, show liners that must match the shape of the bathtub. If the liner does not match the bathtub, the liner will buckle and will itself become a tripping hazard. Bathtub edge protectors, such as was shown in the cited Joiner patent, contain internal hinges. If the hinges in the edge protector do not correspond to the edges of the side of the bathtub, the edge protector does not lay properly on the edge of the bathtub and may continually fall off.
A need therefore exists for a bathtub edge protector and liner that can easily configure to any shaped bathtub, thereby reducing the risk of injury to a person falling in the bathtub. This need is met by the present invention as described and claimed below.
The present invention is a padded mat device that is used to protect against harmful contact with hard surfaces, such as bathtubs edges. The padded mat device contains a top surface and a bottom surface that are joined together along a common peripheral edge. The interior of the padded mat device is filled either with air or with some padding material, such as foam or elastomeric gel. The interior of the padded mat device is partially segmented. The top surface and bottom surface of the padded mat are periodically joined at seams along a plurality of parallel lines that extend between opposite edges of the padded mat device. The points where the top surface and the bottom surface join create seams on the exterior of the padded mat device. Since the seams extend along straight lines, the seams become natural folding points where the padded mat device can be folded into different configurations.
A plurality of suction cups extend from the bottom surface of the padded mat device. The suction cups adhere to a hard surface being padded, such as a bathtub. If the hard surface being padded is not planar, the padding device conforms to the surface being padded by folding along the lines of the seams. A padded surface is therefore provided that conforms to the contours of the original hard surface and is firmly affixed to the original hard surface.